(BCSNN) — Alabama will be without its top returning rusher when it opens the 2025 season against Florida State Seminoles on Aug. 30 in Tallahassee. Senior tailback Jam Miller suffered an upper-body injury during Saturday’s scrimmage and underwent a medical procedure later that evening, head coach Kalen DeBoer confirmed.

“Jam should recover fully with a timetable for his return yet to be determined,” DeBoer said in a statement. Miller, a senior from Tyler, Texas, led all Crimson Tide running backs with 668 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 145 carries last season. He also added 155 receiving yards and a score, emerging as a reliable three-down back in Alabama’s evolving offense.

With Miller sidelined, Alabama will turn to a committee approach led by sophomores Richard Young and Daniel Hill, along with Louisiana transfer Dre Washington. Young rushed for 146 yards and two touchdowns in limited action last season, while Hill added 61 yards and a score. Washington, who joined the Tide this offseason, ran for 478 yards and five touchdowns at Louisiana in 2024.

The injury comes at a critical juncture for Alabama, which is looking to rebound from a 9–4 campaign in DeBoer’s first season after taking over for legendary coach Nick Saban. Quarterback Jalen Milroe, who led the team in rushing last year with 726 yards and 20 touchdowns, is now with the Seattle Seahawks, and fellow tailback Justice Haynes transferred to Michigan.

Miller’s absence leaves Alabama without its most experienced backfield weapon heading into a high-stakes opener against a Seminoles squad that returns 15 starters. The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC and marks the debut of junior quarterback Ty Simpson as the Tide’s new signal-caller.

While DeBoer expressed optimism about Miller’s recovery, the immediate challenge will be finding rhythm and production from a young and largely untested running back corps. “We feel good about the depth we’ve built,” DeBoer said. “But Jam’s leadership and versatility will be missed.”